CNN’s POLITICAL GUT CHECK | for June 20, 2014 | 5 p.m.
— n. a pause to assess the state, progress or condition of the political news cycle

RARE FRIDAY HEARINGS TURN DRAMATIC ON CAPITOL HILL ...

1. IRS BLASTED OVER LOST HARD DRIVE: ’NOBODY BELIEVES YOU’ ... Congressional outrage over IRS targeting of conservative groups turned into a partisan back-and-forth in the House. IRS Commissioner John Koskinen defended the agency, but he sparked an uproar from Republicans by admitting it destroyed a hard drive that contained emails wanted in the targeting probe. And he did not apologize. "I don't think an apology is owed,” Koskinen told the Ways and Means Committee. One prominent Republican questioned whether Koskinen was being truthful under oath. “Nobody believes you,” House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan said. – Lisa Desjardins

... BUT DEMOCRATS CHARGE republicans ARE PLAYING POLITICS ... Sarcastically likening Koskinen’s interrogation to questions over previous political conspiracy theories, Democrat Lloyd Doggett said the inquiry over the missing emails was not serious. “I believe it is an endless conspiracy theory that is involved here that is being exploited solely for political purposes,” Doggett said.

2. VA OFFICIALS GRILLED OVER BONUSES ...VA officials found themselves in the hot seat as the House Veterans Affairs Committee grilled them over why senior executives at the agency were awarded bonuses while thousands of veterans were kept waiting for months to see a doctor. “Bonuses are not an entitlement, they are a reward for exceptional work,” panel Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Florida, said. “VA's current practice only breeds a sense of entitlement, and a lack of accountability, and is why we are here today.”

CHRISTIE’S BIG DAY ...It's an important day for Chris Christie ... The New Jersey Governor delivered his first address to a major gathering of social conservatives at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to the Majority conference in Washington DC ... Christie, who was well received by the crowd, touted his credentials on important social issues, and framed the issue of drug addiction and treatment in a social conservative way. "I believe that every life is a gift from God that's precious and needs to be protected," Christie told the audience to applause. – Paul Steinhauser

THE BUZZ: ‘TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR’ ...A miniature foam figure of President Obama was found in a urinal at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Conference in Washington on Friday. It's unknown who put the item there. One White House official responded with humor to an article about the foam figurine.

MARKET WATCH: All 3 major U.S. stock indexes end the week with gains of more than 1%. S&P hits record territory again.

TRAIL TRIVIA(Answer Below)
Which four U.S. senators were not born in the United States?

the LEDE Did you miss it?

Leading CNNPolitics:Critics question Clinton's record with women as rape victim speaks out
The victim in a rape case whose attacker Hillary Clinton defended in 1975 is speaking out publicly for the first time since 2008, accusing Clinton of ruining her life. "Hillary Clinton took me through Hell,” the victim, now 52, told Josh Rogin of the Daily Beast, who agreed not to publish the woman’s name. – Dan Merica

Leading CNNMoney: Obama: 'What have you done to my house?'
This week, the White House played host to a robotic giraffe, a 3-D printer that made Obama-shaped pancakes, and a first 3-D presidential portrait. "What on earth have you done to my house?" President Obama quipped this week at the White House's first maker faire. – Laurie Segall

Leading Drudge:Jeh Jeh Goes To Texas: Open Borders Backlash
The Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson’s arrival in Texas is being met with mixed feelings by some law enforcement officials along the border.

Leading HuffPo:What’s At Stake
Texas Gov. Rick Perry held his hand out straight, tilted his hand fingers downward at a 45 degree angle, and then raised them level again. "This, versus this," he said, explaining why he no longer wears cowboy boots. “This is better,” he said, his hand parallel with the ground to illustrate the flat-soled shoes he now wears. – Jon Ward

Leading Politico:Victim: Hillary Clinton ‘took me through hell’
The victim in an Arkansas rape case in 1975, whose accused attacker was successfully defended by Hillary Clinton, is speaking out in her first extended interview, coming on the heels of unearthed tapes of the former secretary of State discussing the case. – Maggie Haberman

Leading New York Times: U.S. Plans to Step Up Detention and Deportation of Migrants
The Obama administration, stepping up efforts to reduce the influx of Central American migrants crossing the Southwest border illegally and saying that misinformation about its border policies may have helped spur it, will detain more of those migrants and accelerate their cases in immigration courts so they can be deported more quickly, officials said. – Julia Preston

HOT SOTSThe political bites of the day

- Camp: IRS has lost all credibility –HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS CHAIRMAN DAVE CAMP AT A HEARING: “After all the obstruction I fear this Congress and the American people cannot take the IRS at its word. One thing is for certain, you can blame it on a technical glitch but it is not a technical glitch to mislead the American people. You say you have lost the emails – but what you have lost is all credibility.”

- Rand Paul: No money to countries that persecute Christians –SEN. RAND PAUL, R-KENTUCKY, AT A FAITH AND FREEDOM COALITION CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON: “There's a war on Christianity going on, and sometimes you're being asked to pay for it ... I say not one penny to any country that persecutes Christians. ... The vast majority of Christians in Syria, though, are on the opposite side of the war. ... There is an irony that is impossible to escape ... Our tax dollars are funding Islamic rebels, who are killing Christians."

- 2016 Cleanup: Potential candidates walk back controversial remarks - TEXAS GOV. RICK PERRY AT A CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR EVENT THURSDAY: “I stepped right in it. ... We need to be a really respectful and tolerant country to everybody. ... Whether you're gay or straight, you need to be having a job, and those are the focuses that I want to be involved with.”

FORMER MONTANA GOV. BRIAN SCHWEITZER ON HIS FACEBOOK PAGE: "I recently made a number of stupid and insensitive remarks to a reporter from the National Journal. I am deeply sorry and sincerely apologize for my carelessness and disregard,"

- Pope: Don’t legalize recreational drugs -POPE FRANCIS AT THE INTERNATIONAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT CONFERENCE IN ROME: “Let me state this in the clearest terms possible: the problem of drug use is not solved with drugs! Drug addiction is an evil, and with evil there can be no yielding or compromise. To think that harm can be reduced by permitting drug addicts to use narcotics in no way resolves the problem. Attempts, however limited, to legalize so-called “recreational drugs”, are not only highly questionable from a legislative standpoint, but they fail to produce the desired effects. Substitute drugs are not an adequate therapy but rather a veiled means of surrendering to the phenomenon.”

- Obamas: Daughters should experience hard work, minimum wage job -PRESIDENT OBAMA IN AN INTERVIEW WITH PARADE MAGAZINE: “Oh, yeah. I think every kid needs to get a taste of what it's like to do that real hard work.”FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA IN THE INTERVIEW: "We are looking for opportunities for them to feel as if going to work and getting a paycheck is not always fun, not always stimulating, not always fair. But that's what most folks go through every single day."

Sens. John McCain, R-Arizona; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, were all born outside of the United States.

McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone at a time when the area was considered an unorganized territory of the United States. He was able to run for president in 2008 because of an April 2008 resolution, ironically signed by both then-Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, that declared McCain a 'natural born citizen' under Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution.

While Canadian-born Cruz considers himself a “natural born citizen,” and many legal arguments support his claim, interpreting the Constitution’s natural born citizenship provision to include children born abroad to U.S. citizens cannot be 100% affirmed without a Supreme Court ruling on the matter, according to Politifact. Earlier this month, Cruz denounced his Canadian citizenship.

Hirono was born in Japan. Bennet, the son of a State Department official, was born in India.

soundoff(13 Responses)

Marie MD

rafaelito is Canadian born on Canadian soil and up until a week ago was Canadian. Unless the Canadians have completely lost their minds I don't think they want to be annexed to the US for anything or anybody.
As a NATURALIZED citizen he cannot run for president and truth be told a snowball has a better chance in Hades.
Is it me but is the oops governor beginning to sound as stupid as the screecher from AK. All teaklans sound like they just crawled out from under a rock before the dinosaurs roamed the Earth but . . . . . wow!!!
As far as the lying altar boy from WI. Who cares! He comes from a family who took federal money and now he's stealing it from the taxpayers.

June 20, 2014 05:33 pm at 5:33 pm |

don in albuquerque

What happened? Wasn't the Benghazzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Party supposed to start with their big homecoming game this week?

June 20, 2014 05:35 pm at 5:35 pm |

Lily

That was silly. You never get what you are trying to find if you start reacting instead of being calm and ask in a proper way. Oh, ya, wisdom and intelligence always comes with age and experience.

June 20, 2014 05:45 pm at 5:45 pm |

Peace

Where has respect gone? That man Paul Ryan was shouting to could be the same age of his own father ( if he was still alive). Now Paul Ryan was questioning him as if he was questioning his own kids!!! We have never seen Pres. Obama shouting to McCain or others who are older than him, though he is their President. Pathetic!

June 20, 2014 06:31 pm at 6:31 pm |

The Republican Party Is Dead To Me

I'd give anything to have this creep call me or someone close a liar. He'd regret the day my mother met my father.

June 20, 2014 07:30 pm at 7:30 pm |

Winston Smith

Paul, you are without question the biggest bag of hot air ever witnessed in a single area. By the way, you suck and it's audible.

June 20, 2014 07:43 pm at 7:43 pm |

Stuffitu

That great economic plan of Obozos does not seem to be woeking. The race bating class warrior has managed to raise gas and food prices to the few Americans who actually work and pay taxes. His Obozcare subsidies are way over budget, the world totally hates and disrespect us. He is trying to make our energy costs rise more, and "lists" Lois Lerners e mails. Start the impeachment when the new Repulicqn xontrolle Congress takes office in January and get rid of this Kenyan village idiot.

June 20, 2014 08:07 pm at 8:07 pm |

Jeff Brown in Jersey

Keep using the GOP playbook. It's been working so well for you last few years.

June 20, 2014 09:24 pm at 9:24 pm |

Marcus (from...?)

Marie MD – I'll have to correct you on that one. He's not naturalized. Fact is that he had TWO distinct nationalities, and there's no one to blame for that. He was Canadian and American, and to avoid any further problem with this situation he did the legal procedures to cancel his Canadian citizenship.
Simple like that.
Let's not create na hypocritical leftist birther movement, OK? The one from the right is more than enough to dumb down the whole country.

June 20, 2014 10:09 pm at 10:09 pm |

Anonymous

"“Nobody believes you,” House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan said" This is very rich! The man who lied about everything including his marathon record (at silly as it is) have a nerve to question others credibility?

June 21, 2014 12:00 am at 12:00 am |

Tony in Maine

Ryan is playing to the cheapseats. The IRS has been more than forthcoming, but the moment they can't provide data to Ryan on demand, he calls a man a liar. A total ass.

June 21, 2014 09:12 am at 9:12 am |

jpmichigan

Why bother with this guy, the head of the IRS, made the Tech fellows and girls who checked out the hard drive and server, let them tell and show you that the messages cannot be gotten I bet they don't show up or don't exist. Those who received copies of the w-mail should come forward!!!!!.

June 21, 2014 09:25 am at 9:25 am |

don in albuquerque

Would be nice to have names of the Conservatives who cooked up the current Hillary bashing on the rape victim. Come on CNN, I would think they would be proud of their current gambit. Start naming names. While I do have sympathy for the victim.....what did these little boys think attorneys do? Especially criminal defense attorneys? Let's have some names. I think it is high time to start dragging some GOTP intelligence through the mud, and checking into their stellar backgrounds.